


Jackson Doesn't Say "I Love You" (and Danny Doesn't Yell)

by sixlettrsodapop



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Bromance, Canon Compliant, Canonical Character Death, Gen, Temporary Character Death, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-16
Updated: 2013-02-16
Packaged: 2017-11-29 12:42:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/687078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sixlettrsodapop/pseuds/sixlettrsodapop
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post-season 2 fic. Danny's reaction to Jackson's death and "rebirth."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Jackson Doesn't Say "I Love You" (and Danny Doesn't Yell)

The doctors said it was shock, shock at seeing his best friend (his only friend) lying dead on the field. He had been quiet the drive home, staring out the window but not really seeing, settled into the back seat of his parent’s car. He’d thrown his pads across his room as he paced, not even flinching at the crash as they hit the wall. He slept on the floor that night, curled into himself after he’d broken down and cried over Jackson, too exhausted to pull himself into his bed.

He spends the next day in bed, blankets pulled to his chin, door locked and phone off. His mom pleads with him to open the door, come downstairs and eat something, but he blocks out the sound of her voice until she gives up. The day after that, he gets drunk. Drunk enough that he calls Jackson’s phone and leaves a message that ends in, “I hate you because you left me alone. You could have taken me with you. I would have saved you.”

He goes to school with a hangover and ignores the sympathetic looks people keep throwing at him, even Lydia who should be more upset than he is. She hangs on his arm, chatting away even though he keeps pushing her away and all he wants is them to leave him alone because Jackson is gone, but no one seems to care. He ducks behind his locker once and wipes at his eyes when the tears start building up again and sighs, head against the cool metal contrasting with the heat of his skin.

“Danny…”

“No, Lydia. I don’t want your explanation about what happened. I lost my only friend.”

She makes a pained half choking sound from in front of his open locker and he should feel bad for upsetting her, he does in the back of his mind, but he can’t be bothered to care about that right now.

“Danny, Jackson wasn’t your only friend.”

And he can’t help the flood of anger, rage even, that fills his body and the locker slams shut with a clang.

“Jackson was my only friend. How many people would still be my friend if I didn’t have Jackson there to frighten them into sticking next to me? Because I’ve heard what they say when Jackson isn’t around, I know how they feel about me changing in the same locker room they do. And it hurts. Even Stilinski uses me for being gay. So yes, Jackson was my only friend.”

Lydia’s face crumples after his rant and he feels terrible for hurting her, wants to wrap his arms around her and apologize, but she needs to mourn like he is because Jackson loved her even more than he loved Danny.

“Lydia, I…” But he trails off and his hand hovers over her shoulder, waiting.

“You’re upset, it’s fine. See you later, Danny.” And Lydia’s walking off, tucking herself next to Stiles which is just odd, but he can’t focus on that now because his head hurts and his eyes are burning.

So he stalks to his car, a move learned from Jackson, throws his bag in the passenger seat, and drives home, locking himself in his bedroom again. Someone knocks on his door a few hours later when he has his laptop on his bed, watching some stupid movie Jackson had put on his Netflix queue and he was torturing himself now, wasn’t he? But he’s been a dick to everyone, so he pauses the movie and opens the bedroom door, expecting another, “really, you should eat something, honey”, but it’s not his mom, it’s Stiles.

“You should know what really happened on Friday.”

“I know what happened. Jackson died.” And he has the door almost closed when Stiles puts his hand against it, pushing gently until Danny stops trying to close it.

Stiles isn’t obnoxious about it, just walks into the room and sits at Danny’s desk, not even spinning himself, waiting until Danny’s comfortable on his bed again and watching Stiles.

“There’s no way to say this so it’ll sound normal so I’ll just say it. There are werewolves and kanimas and who knows how many other supernatural creatures out there and Jackson isn’t really dead.”

Danny stares at Stiles like he’s grown another head, the words “Jackson isn’t really dead” echoing in his head.

“Jackson’s alive?” It’s the only thing he cares about and Stiles nods, blinking at him. “I want to see him.”

Stiles drives Danny to the warehouse because his hands are shaking too bad for him to drive safely. He doesn’t even register that Jackson’s hiding out in some dirty, abandoned building instead of his home. He just wants to see that his friend is alive, is okay. And he does and Jackson’s laughing, pinned to the floor by that Lahey kid while Stiles’ cousin Miguel watches? But that doesn’t matter because he’s running over, elbowing Lahey out of the way, and dragging Jackson into his arms. Jackson sighs something that sounds like “Danny” and he’s relaxing in Danny’s arms, pulling him as tight as Danny’s holding him. When Danny pulls back, he ducks his head and wipes at the tears that are building, Jackson lets out another laugh, and Danny shoves him hard enough that he falls onto his back again.

“You warned me that something was going to go wrong. You told me to stay away from you. I could have helped you Jackson.” He’s yelling and Jackson flinches; Danny never yells, especially at Jackson.

“I didn’t want to hurt you, Danny. You were the only person I wanted to be safe because I knew you were the only person who could be hurt to get to me.” Jackson’s chest is heaving, even though he hasn’t raised his voice much and Danny can see something flicker in his face, something that isn’t human.

He can’t help the way his eyes flicker to Lydia.

“She’s immune; they wouldn’t hurt her. But they would hurt you. So much that you would never get better and I would have to live with that. That I made you get hurt.”

Jackson doesn’t say I love you, but he gets close when he’s staring at Danny kneeling on the dirty warehouse floor, staring at Jackson with tears in his eyes. Then Danny quirks his mouth into a tiny smile that he saves for when Jackson is being really stupid or really smart and he’s pulling him into a hug again.

**Author's Note:**

> Reposted from Tumblr.


End file.
